Method and apparatus for displaying advertisements on a vehicle

ABSTRACT

An advertising panel ( 20 ) which can be used to selectively attach advertisements to the side of a road vehicle ( 10 ) or to a fixed structure in a readily demountable manner comprises a sheet ( 22 ) of plastic material, the sheet having an image applied to a first side of the sheet. An elongate fastener ( 22 ) having a thickness greater than the sheet extends along a longitudinal edge of the sheet. The elongate fastener ( 22 ) engages with one or more slotted track members ( 30, 32 ) provided on a wall ( 16 ) or curtain ( 14 ) of the road vehicle. The track member and slot ( 36 ) may be provided in a continuous length ( 32 ), corresponding to the length of the longitudinal edge, or in discrete sections ( 30 ), which are particularly applicable for use with a curtain. Elongate fasteners ( 22 ) can be provided on the upper and lower edges of the panel ( 20 ), so that the panel is installed by threading it horizontally into the slots ( 36 ) of upper and lower track members ( 30, 32 ) simultaneously. The system requires minimal structural alterations to a vehicle ( 10 ) to enable it to carry advertising panels, and allows advertising panels to be changed easily.

This invention relates to advertisements, and relates more particularlybut not exclusively to a system for selectively attaching advertisementsto the sides of road vehicles or fixed sites in a readily demountablemanner, and to a method of adapting road vehicles for the selectivedisplay of advertisements.

At present, static exterior advertisements are achieved using postersattached to a building surface or a panel provided on the buildingsurface. The print medium used is typically paper which is pasted to thesurface using an adhesive. Such advertisements require considerableeffort to install and remove the paper medium, printing costs arerelatively high and planning restrictions apply.

Furthermore, currently there are many load-carrying road vehicles havingsubstantially vertical sides which are either plain, or carry minimalinformation (e.g. merely the name of a transport company). These vehiclesides are extensively exposed to the sight of the general public, notleast because the majority of journeys of load-carrying road vehiclestake place on public roads that are also extensively used by pedestriansand/or users of personal road transport and/or passengers in public roadtransport. Consequently, the sides of load-carrying road vehiclesrepresent a facility for mobile advertising that currently tends to beused only by the vehicle owners for self-advertisement. Some use of theexteriors of road vehicles is known for advertising by organisationsother than the vehicle owner, but such advertising is currently limitedto public transport vehicles that carry human passengers rather thaninanimate cargoes, and the advertisements are either pasted-on paper, orin the nature of bodywork painting that is substantially permanent andnot changeable without time-consuming repainting of the vehicle.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,423 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,566 address the problemof providing advertisements on the sides of load-carrying road vehicles,but the effectiveness of their solutions is hampered by the fact thatthe vehicles need extensive structural modification in the form of addedrails, mounting brackets and fasteners and the like, to allow themounting and removal of advertisement panels. Moreover the advertisementpanels themselves are complicated and relatively expensive. Moreover theadvertisement panels can be used only with rigid sided vehicles, sincethey do not allow simple access to the side curtains of flexible sidedvehicles, which provide access to the load area by allowing the removalor rolling up of flexible side curtains attached to the frame of thevehicle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternativesystem and method for providing static exterior advertisements whichrequire less effort to install or remove, reduce printing costs andavoid planning restrictions.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system anda method for enabling mobile advertisements to be selectively mounted onload-carrying road vehicles in a manner which is simple to carry out andwhich is cost effective, allowing the use of economical advertisementpanels and the requiring minimal structural alterations to a vehicle toenable it to carry advertisement panels. It is a further object of theinvention to provide a system and a method for enabling mobileadvertisements to be selectively mounted on both rigid sided andflexible sided road vehicles.

As used in this specification, the term “vehicle” refers to a roadvehicle possessing substantially vertical sides suitable for carryingadvertisements, such sides including but not being restricted topermanently fixed sides, sides formed as one or more panels that aredemountable or hinged for providing access to a cargo carried by thevehicle, and curtain sides (i.e. curtains of more or less flexible sheetmaterial whose upper edges are suspended from the vehicle, and whoselower edges are clipped or strapped to the vehicle).

As used in this specification, the term “advertisement” refers to atleast one essentially two-dimensional image having an impression on aspectator that is primarily or wholly visual.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is providedan advertising panel for mounting to a structure, the panel comprising asheet of plastic mesh material having an image applied to a first sideof the sheet, wherein the panel has an elongate fastener provided on atleast one longitudinal edge, the elongate fastener having a thicknessgreater than the sheet and being adapted to engage with a correspondingslot provided on the structure.

Preferably, the advertising panel is mounted to the structure of avehicle, such as a side panel of a vehicle. Alternatively, theadvertising panel is mounted to a static structure, such as anadvertising hoarding.

In one preferred embodiment the elongate fastener comprises alongitudinal member held within a hem of the sheet. Preferably the hemis formed by folding an edge of the sheet around the elongate fastenerand back against the sheet, then securing the edge to the sheet.Securing may be carried out by stitching, applying adhesive, thermalbonding, or any suitable method.

In another preferred embodiment the elongate fastener comprises alongitudinal member secured to the sheet by an edging strip. Preferablythe edging strip passes around the elongate fastener and is secured toeach side of the edge of the sheet. Securing may be carried out bystitching, applying adhesive, thermal bonding, or any suitable method.

The longitudinal member is preferably flexible, for example a rope,cord, rubber or plastic extrusion or similar. Preferably the panel hasan elongate fastener provided on two opposite longitudinal edges.

Preferably the sheet is flexible. Preferably the sheet is of PVC,polyester or a combination thereof. Preferably the mesh is provided withapertures allowing air passage therethrough. Preferably the sheet has anair permeability of at least 1000 litres per second at 100 pascal.

Preferably the sheet of the advertising panel is a woven material.Preferably the warp and weft fibres are bonded to each other at theirintersections.

Preferably the panel is substantially rectangular. In one embodiment thepanel may be provided with an extension piece at one or each of the twoopposite side edges. Preferably the extension pieces are provided withsecuring means to allow them to be wrapped around the corner of avehicle and secured to the vehicle. Preferably an extension piece isprovided on the leading edge of the sheet, the leading edge being theedge nearest the front of the vehicle when the panel is mounted on avehicle. Alternatively the leading edge of the sheet may be providedwith a continuous fastener which extends substantially over the entirelength of the leading edge. In another embodiment the panel may beprovided with an elongate fastener as described above on each of the twoopposite side edges, the fastener being adapted to engage with a trackmember on the structure.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provideda vehicle, the vehicle having a wall provided with a slot or slots onthe exterior surface thereof, the vehicle having an advertising panelmounted on said exterior surface, the panel comprising a sheet ofplastic mesh material having an image applied to a first side of thesheet, wherein the panel has an elongate fastener provided on at leastone longitudinal edge, the elongate fastener having a thickness greaterthan the sheet and engaged with said slot or slots on said vehicle.

Preferably the advertising panel is a panel according to the firstaspect of the present invention. Preferably the exterior surface is on aside wall of the vehicle.

Preferably the slot or slots are provided in one or more track membersbonded to the side wall by adhesive. Alternatively the track members maybe secured to the side wall by fixing means such as bolts, screw, rivetsor similar. Preferably the track members are extruded members.Preferably the slot or slots are shaped to allow keying of the elongatefastener with the slot or slots. In one preferred embodiment trackmembers shaped to allow keying of the elongate fastener are provided onthe upper and lower edges of the exterior surface, while lateralfastening members for securing the vertical side edges of theadvertising panel are provided at the vertical side edges of theexterior surface. The lateral fastening members may be push-fit trackmembers shaped to allow reversible snap engagement of the elongatefastener. Alternatively the lateral fastening members may be releasableclamping members which permit the clamping of the elongate fastener in aplurality of positions. Alternatively the lateral fastening members maybe mutually engageable fastening means provided on the side wall and theadvertising panel, such as hook and loop fasteners or 3M™ Dual Lock™.

The track members may extend continuously over the length of theelongate fastener. Alternatively, the track members are provided asdiscrete track members spaced at regular intervals on the vehicle.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided avehicle, the vehicle having a load bearing volume at least partiallyenclosed by a curtain, said curtain being provided with a slot or slotson the exterior surface thereof, the vehicle having an advertising panelon said exterior surface, the panel comprising a sheet of plastic meshmaterial having an image applied to a first side of the sheet, whereinthe panel has an elongate fastener provided on at least one longitudinaledge, the elongate fastener having a thickness greater than the sheetand engaged with said slot or slots on said vehicle.

Preferably the advertising panel is a panel according to the firstaspect of the present invention.

Preferably the slot or slots are provided in one or more track membersbonded to the curtain by adhesive. Alternatively they may be secured tothe curtain by thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, stitching, mouldingor similar. Alternatively the track members may be secured to thecurtain by fixing means such as bolts, screw, rivets or similar,preferably in conjunction with a washer plate on the opposite surface ofthe curtain. Preferably the track members are extruded members.Preferably the slot or slots are shaped to allow keying of the elongatefastener with the slot or slots. In one preferred embodiment trackmembers shaped to allow keying of the elongate fastener are provided onthe upper and lower edges of the exterior surface, while lateralfastening members for securing the vertical side edges of theadvertising panel are provided at the vertical side edges of theexterior surface. Backing plates may be provided on the interior surfaceof the curtain with the lateral fastening members. The lateral fasteningmembers may be push-fit track members shaped to allow reversible snapengagement of the elongate fastener. Alternatively the lateral fasteningmembers may be releasable clamping members which permit the clamping ofthe elongate fastener in a plurality of positions. Alternatively thelateral fastening members may be mutually engageable fastening meansprovided on the curtain and the advertising panel, such as hook and loopfasteners or 3M™ Dual Lock™.

Preferably the track members are provided as discrete track membersspaced at regular intervals on the vehicle.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provideda method of modifying a vehicle to display at least one advertisingpanel on at least one surface of the vehicle, the panel comprising asheet of plastic mesh material having an image applied to a first sideof the sheet, wherein the panel has an elongate fastener provided on atleast one longitudinal edge, the elongate fastener having a thicknessgreater than the sheet said method comprising the steps of:

securing one or more slotted track members in a predetermined pattern onthe surface of the vehicle or on a curtain adapted to be mounted on thesurface of the vehicle, and

releasably attaching the advertising panel to the one or more slottedtrack members by engaging the elongate fastener in the slots provided onthe one or more slotted track members.

Preferably the advertising panel is a panel according to the firstaspect of the present invention.

Preferably the advertising panel is substantially rectangular havingupper and lower longitudinal edges and two side edges, and elongatefasteners at the upper and lower longitudinal edges are engaged in theslots provided on the one or more slotted track members. The method mayinclude the further step of:

releasably attaching the side edges of the advertising panel to one ormore releasable clamping members.

Preferably at least one side edge is provided with an elongate fastener,and the side edge is attached to the one or more releasable clampingmembers by clamping the elongate fastener in a selected one of aplurality of positions, to adjust the lateral tension in the advertisingpanel. Push-fit track members may be used instead.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is providedan advertising panel for mounting to a structure, the panel comprising asheet of plastic material having an image applied to a first side of thesheet, wherein the panel has a plurality of resilient attachment meansprovided along at least one edge of the panel. Preferably the panel isof mesh material.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided avehicle having a rear door, the rear door having mounted thereon anadvertising panel according to the fifth aspect of the presentinvention. Preferably the rear door is a roller shutter door. Preferablythe rear door has attachment fixings secured thereto, each attachmentmeans being attached to an attachment fixing. Preferably the resilientattachment means are adapted to allow elastic extension of theattachment means when the roller shutter door is in its rolled statewith the advertising panel mounted thereon.

Preferably the resilient attachment means comprises elastic tensionmembers of natural or synthetic rubber. These may be in the form ofbands, loops, rods or any suitable form. They may pass through an eyeletin the panel, or they may be attached to the panel by any suitablesecuring means, including fasteners, rivets, adhesive and stitching.

Preferably the sheet is flexible. Preferably the sheet is of PVC,polyester or a combination thereof.

Preferably the mesh is provided with apertures allowing air passagetherethrough. Preferably the sheet has an air permeability of at least1000 litres per second at 100 pascal.

Preferably the sheet of the advertising panel is a woven material.Preferably the warp and weft fibres are bonded to each other at theirintersections.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of exampleonly, with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a curtain-sided lorry provided with slotted track membersto allow attachment of an advertising panel according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a rigid-sided lorry provided with slotted track members toallow attachment of an advertising panel according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows the lorry of FIG. 1 with an advertising panel attached;

FIG. 4 shows the lorry of FIG. 2 with an advertising panel attached;

FIG. 5 shows a slotted track member and backing plate used to attach anadvertising panel according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the slotted track member and backingplate of FIG. 5 attached to a curtain;

FIG. 7 shows a releasable clamping member and backing plate used toattach an advertising panel according to another embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of the releasable clamping member andbacking plate of FIG. 7 attached to a curtain;

FIGS. 9 a to 9 h show sectional views of slotted track members and theattachment of the edge of the advertising panel according to variousfurther embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 10 and 11 show alternative edge arrangements for the panels ofFIGS. 1 to 9;

FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of a push-fit track member whichcan be used to secure the side edges of the panels of FIGS. 1 to 9;

FIG. 13 shows a vehicle having a roller shutter door equipped to carryan advertising panel according to the invention;

FIGS. 14 a and 14 b are partial sectional views of the roller shutterdoor of FIG. 13 with an advertising panel attached in the unrolled androlled positions;

FIG. 15 shows an attachment means for the advertising panel of FIG. 14a; and

FIG. 16 shows various alternative attachment means for the advertisingpanel of FIG. 14 a.

FIG. 1 shows a vehicle in the form of a lorry 10 having a load area 12which is covered on each longitudinal side by a curtain 14. The curtain14 is secured to the vehicle 10 at its upper edge and is tensioned in aconventional manner by means of tensioning straps 18 which connect thelower edge of the curtain to the vehicle. The curtain 14 and straps 18are well known in the art and may be of any suitable flexible material.Typically the curtain 14 is of reinforced PVC while the straps 18 are ofnylon webbing.

The surface of the curtain 18 has a number of slotted track members 30fixed to it, seen more clearly in FIGS. 5 and 6, arranged in an upperrow and a lower row. Typically these coincide with alternate verticalstrengthening straps 18 of the curtain 14. They may be fixed by adhesive42 or other suitable means of securing the members to the curtain,including fixing means such as bolts, screw, rivets, staples or similar.In practice the combination of stainless steel machine screws which passthrough apertures 44 in the track member 30 and engage with integralnuts 45 in a backing plate 31 has been found to be an effectivefastening means. Alternatively the slotted track members may be securedto the curtain by thermal bonding, ultrasonic bonding, stitching,moulding or similar. The slotted track members 30 are of moulded orextruded plastic and various other non-limiting shapes are shown inFIGS. 9 a to 9 f. The members have a cylindrical passage 34 extendingtherethrough and a slot 36 in one side, allowing access to the passage34.

The slotted track members 30 are selected and positioned to engage withelongate fasteners 22 provided on the longitudinal edges 24 of anadvertising panel 20, as shown in FIGS. 5, 12 and 13.

Two vertical push-fit track members 40, shown in FIG. 12, are alsosecured to the curtain, one at each side. These are secured to thecurtain in the same way as the slotted track members 30, with backingplates (not shown) if appropriate.

FIG. 2 shows a lorry 10 having a load area 12 which is covered on eachlongitudinal side by a rigid wall 16. The arrangement of slotted trackmembers 30 on the rigid wall 16 can be the same as that described abovewith respect to the curtain 14 of FIG. 1, although in FIG. 2 twocontinuous slotted track members 32 are shown, one upper member and onelower member, having the same cross-section as the shorter track memberillustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Continuous track members 32 typicallycomprise a number of 3 metre long track members 32 fixed in abuttingrelationship. The members 32 are bonded to the wall by means of highbond double sided adhesive tape 42 or other adhesive, although it is tobe understood that other suitable means of securing the members to thewall may be used, including fixing means such as bolts, screw, rivets,staples or similar. As in FIG. 1, two vertical push-fit track members 40are also secured to the wall, one at each side. These are secured to thewall in the same way as the slotted track members 32.

FIG. 3 shows the curtain sided lorry 10 of FIG. 1 with an advertisingpanel 20 fixed to the curtain 14 using fasteners 22 which engage withthe slotted track members 30 and the push-fit track members 40. Thepanel 20 is described in more detail below. The edges 24 of the panel 20are threaded through the slots 36 starting at one end of the lorry 10.While FIG. 3 shows the panel 20 on a side wall of the vehicle 10, it isto be understood that the panel may be fitted to any surface of thevehicle 10, including the rear surface or the roof. The panel 20 istypically one metre shorter than the curtain 14 in length, and 2 metresin height.

FIG. 4 shows the rigid sided lorry 10 of FIG. 2 with an advertisingpanel 20 fixed to the wall 16 in the manner described above withreference to FIG. 3. The panel 20 is typically dimensioned to cover mostof the surface area of the wall 16.

In both cases the vertical edges 26 of the panel 20 are engaged with theresilient extruded PVC push-fit track members 40 as shown in FIG. 14.However the vertical edges 26 may alternatively be attached by any othersuitable means. For example, a strip of hook and loop fastener may beprovided at each vertical edge of the advertising panel 20 to engagewith a corresponding strip of hook and loop fastener provided on thewall 16 or curtain 14. Instead of hook and loop fastener otherreleasable fasteners may be used, such as 3M™ Dual Lock™ or releasableclamping members 80, described below. Alternatively the plastic meshmaterial of the panel 20 may be extended around the corner of thevehicle 10 and securing it to the structure of the vehicle in anysuitable way.

The construction of the advertising panel 20 will now be described withreference to FIGS. 5, 6, 10 and 11. The panel comprises a sheet 28 ofplastic mesh material. Typically the mesh material comprises a polyesteror polypropylene base fabric coated with PVC. The base fabric may havebetween 3 and 10 (preferably 5) threads per cm in both warp and weftdirections. Flexible plasticised PVC is applied to both sides to producea material having a weight of between 100 and 800 g/m², preferablybetween about 200 and 550 g/m², such that the warp and weft fibres arebonded to each other at their intersections.

The apertures in the mesh allow an air permeability of between 1000 and6000 litres/second at 100 pascal, preferably about 2800 litres/second. Asuitable mesh is that sold by VUFLEX Digital under the name VUFLEXDigital 550, although it is to be understood that any suitable plasticmesh may be used. The air permeability ensures that the panel remainsflat against the supporting surface, whether it be a solid wall of avehicle or a curtain. Air pressure either side of the panel isequalised, thereby preventing flapping of the panel against thesupporting surface.

The mesh must be capable of being printed on, to provide an advertisingimage on one side. Any suitable printing process may be used, such aslaser printing or screen printing. The apertures must be small enoughsuch that the effect of the advertising panel when mounted on a solidsurface and viewed from a distance is of an opaque panel. In aparticular embodiment the plasticised warp and weft fibres have a widthof about 1 mm, while the apertures are about 1 mm square. An opaqueeffect is produced if the apertures make up about 25% or less of thearea of the panel. If the apertures make up more than about 35% of thearea of the panel the opacity effect is diminished.

Reinforcing strips (not shown) of reinforced PVC or similar material maybe bonded to any or all of the edges of the mesh sheet 28 to prevent theadvertising panel 20 from tearing or stretching in use. The reinforcingstrips may be bonded by adhesive or by ultrasonic welding. The stripsmay be of polypropylene or polyester scrim coated with PVC for easyjoining to the mesh sheet 28. The thickness of the strips is chosen sothat the sheet 28 can be subject to the chosen printing process evenwith the strips attached. Typically the reinforcing strips are between 5and 15 cm wide, and extend to the perimeter of the sheet 28.

Elongate fasteners 22 are bonded to the longitudinal edges 24 of themesh sheet 28, with or without reinforcing strips, by wrapping the edgeof the sheet around the fastener 22 and stitching with thread 56 orbonding to form a hem 50, as in FIG. 12, or by attaching and bonding anedge strip 52, as in FIG. 13, of any suitable plastic material. Thermalor adhesive 58 bonding may be used. The elongate fastener 22 comprises acord or rope 54, or extruded flexible plastic or rubber, held in the hem50 or edge strip 52. The cord or rope 54 may be free to slide in the hem50 or edge strip 54, or may be restrained or bonded to the hem 50 oredge strip 52. Similar elongate fasteners 22 are provided on thevertical edges 26 of the panel if push-fit track members 40 orreleasable clamping members 80 are used to secure the vertical edges.The edge strip 52 may be of the same material as the reinforcing stripsdescribed above.

The panel is installed on a vehicle 10 by threading the elongatefasteners 22 at the top and bottom edges of the panel 22 into theslotted track members 30,32 simultaneously and pulling the panelhorizontally until it extends from one vertical side to the other of thesupporting surface. The vertical edges of the panel are then securedusing any suitable securing means.

It has been found that it is advantageous to provide a continuousfastener, preferably a fastener 22 which can engage with the push-fittrack member 40 or a fastener such as a hook and loop fastener (notshown), extending all the way along the leading edge of the advertisingpanel 20. The leading edge is that edge which is nearer the front of thevehicle in use. The use of a continuous fastener engaging with acorresponding continuous fastener on the vehicle 10 prevents the leadingedge of the panel 20 lifting away from the vehicle at any point, andhelps to hold the panel 20 to the wall 16 or curtain 14 withoutflapping. The same effect can be achieved by continuing the panel aroundthe corner of the vehicle and securing it in place by any suitable meansto the end wall of the vehicle.

Particular arrangements of fasteners are provided for particular modelsof vehicles 10 and their corresponding advertising panels 20. Forexample a Transit® van might carry a particular size of advertisingpanel 20; panels for these vans would carry a particular pattern offasteners. Corresponding fasteners on Transit® vans would be fixed tothe side wall 16 of the van in a corresponding pattern using aparticular Transit® stencil. Similarly, a particular make of trailermight carry a particular larger size of advertising panel 20; panels forthese trailers would carry a different particular pattern of fasteners.Corresponding fasteners on the trailers would be fixed to the curtain 14or side wall 16 of the trailer in a corresponding pattern using aparticular trailer stencil.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown a discrete slotted trackmember 30. It is to be understood that the continuous track member 32has the same cross-section. The backing plate 31 used to connect thetrack member 30 to a curtain 14 by sandwiching the curtain 14 betweenthe track member 30 and backing plate 31 has threaded sockets 45 whichcorrespond in position to the apertures 44 in the track member 30.Screws or bolts (not shown) are used to secure the track member 30 andbacking plate 31 together. Conventional bolts and nuts may be usedinstead of threaded sockets. Corresponding holes in the curtain 14 canbe pre-formed or can be formed by insertion of the screws into theapertures 44.

Referring to FIGS. 9 a to 9 h, there are shown alternativecross-sectional profiles 38 a-h of the discrete or continuous slottedtrack members 30, 32. Profiles 38 a-d and 38 h have the slot 36 in aside face, while profiles 38 e-g have the slot 36 in a lower face sothat the advertising panel 20 hangs straight, eliminating wear. Profiles38 a and 38 b are attached by bonding using adhesive 42 or similar,while profiles 38 c-h are attached using fasteners (not shown) whichpass through apertures 44. A washer plate (not shown) may be used withnuts and threaded fasteners to secure the profiles 38 c-h to a curtain14, or conventional fasteners may be passed through the apertures 44 tosecure the profiles 38 c-h to a rigid wall 16.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9 h screw holes 44 for securing profile 38 hare provided in the passage 34, so that they remain hidden in use. Lightfittings 46 are provided at spaced intervals along the track member forillumination of the advertising panel 20.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown a releasable clamping member80 which can be used instead of the push fit track member 40 to securethe lateral edges of the advertising panel 20, which are provided withan elongate fastener 22 as described above with reference to FIGS. 3, 4,10 and 11. The clamping member 80 comprises an upper plate 82 and alower plate 84 joined by a hinge 86. The upper and lower plates 82, 84have corresponding detent portions 88, 90 which engage with each otherin a snap fit to close the clamping member.

The upper and lower plates 82, 84 each have a ribbed surface 92 whichcan accommodate the elongate fastener 22 in a plurality of positions,such that the advertising panel 20 can be tensioned laterally and heldin the position required to maintain tension. In this way the system canaccommodate tolerances in the overall width of the advertising panel 20or in the position of the clamping members 80 while still ensuring thatthe advertising panel 20 remains flat against the surface to which on itis mounted. The upper plate 82 has a handle portion 94 and a closureflange 96 which holds the mesh 28 of the panel 20 against the curtain 14or wall 16. The clamping member can be secured to a curtain 14 using abacking plate 98 in the same way as described above with reference tothe track member 30 and backing plate 31. The upper and lower plates 82,84, like the track members 30, are of plastic such as polypropylene, andcan be formed by extrusion.

In the embodiments described above, the advertising panel 20 of theinvention has been described with reference to its mounting on avehicle. However, it is to be understood that the advertising panel canbe mounted on a fixed structure, such as a building or an advertisinghoarding. In such cases slotted track members of the type hereindescribed may be used to secure the advertising panel to the fixedstructure. However, it is to be understood that suitable slots may beprovided in other elements attached to the structure, and the inventionis not to be limited to advertising panels mounted using slotted trackmembers or releasable clamping members as described herein. In fixed orstatic structures or where the effects of air movement relative to theadvertising panel are not significant, the plastic mesh may be replacedby a solid plastic sheet.

A method of attaching an advertising panel 20 to the rear of a vehiclewhich may be provided with a roller shutter door is now described withreference to FIGS. 13 to 16. A vehicle 10 has a rear wall 60 having aroller shutter door 62. Attached to the shutters of the door 62 at fourcorners are attachment fixings 66, comprising a plate 70, a loop 72 andapertures 74 for fasteners (not shown) such as screws, bolts, rivets orthe like. An advertising panel 20 of the type described above withreference to FIGS. 1 to 9 is attached to the attachment fixings 66 bymeans of four resilient attachment means 64, of natural or syntheticrubber. FIG. 16 shows four possible shapes for the attachment means 64a-d, but is not to be construed as limiting on the shape. Moreover it isto be understood that more than four attachment means 64 may be used, oralternatively more or fewer resilient attachment means 64 may be used inconjunction with some other means of fastening, such as hook and loopfasteners (not shown) or the slot-engaging elongate fasteners 22described above.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 13 to 16 the advertising panel can be usedwith resilient attachment means 64 only, so that the elongate fasteners22 can be omitted. The resilient attachment means 64 allow stretching,so that when the roller shutter door 62 is opened by rolling theshutters 61 around a spool 63, as shown in FIG. 14 b, the attachmentmeans 64 become elongated to allow for the increased effective lengthbetween the top and bottom attachment fixings 66 resulting from theseparation of adjacent shutters 61.

Modifications and variations of the above-described embodiments can beadopted without departing from the scope of the invention.

1. An advertising panel for mounting to a structure, the panelcomprising a sheet of plastic material having an image applied to afirst side of the sheet, wherein the panel has an elongate fastenerprovided on at least one longitudinal edge, the elongate fastener havinga thickness greater than the sheet and being adapted to engage with acorresponding slot provided on the structure.
 2. An advertising panelaccording to claim 1, wherein the advertising panel is mounted to thestructure of a vehicle.
 3. An advertising panel according to claim 1,wherein the advertising panel is mounted to a static structure.
 4. Anadvertising panel according to claim 1, wherein the sheet has a hem andthe elongate fastener comprises a longitudinal member held within thehem of the sheet.
 5. An advertising panel according to claim 4, whereinthe hem is formed by folding an edge of the sheet around the elongatefastener and back against the sheet, then securing the edge to thesheet.
 6. An advertising panel according to any of claim 1, wherein theelongate fastener comprises a longitudinal member secured to the sheetby an edging strip.
 7. An advertising panel according to claim 6,wherein the edging strip passes around the elongate fastener and issecured to each side of the edge of the sheet.
 8. An advertising panelaccording to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal member is flexible.
 9. Anadvertising panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel has anelongate fastener provided on two opposite longitudinal edges.
 10. Anadvertising panel according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is flexible.11. An advertising panel according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is amesh of PVC, polyester, polypropylene or a combination thereof.
 12. Anadvertising panel according to claim 1, wherein the mesh is providedwith apertures allowing air passage therethrough, such that the sheethas an air permeability of at least 1000 litres per second at 100pascal.
 13. An advertising panel according to claim 1, wherein the sheetof the advertising panel is a woven material.
 14. An advertising panelaccording to claim 13, wherein the woven material has warp and weftfibres bonded to each other at their intersections.
 15. An advertisingpanel according to claim 1, wherein the panel is substantiallyrectangular.
 16. An advertising panel according to claim 1, wherein thepanel is provided with an extension piece at one or both of the twoopposite side edges, said one or both extension pieces being providedwith securing means to allow them to be wrapped around the corner of avehicle and secured to the vehicle.
 17. An advertising panel accordingto claim 1, wherein one or both of the two opposite side edges areprovided with reclosable interlocking, fasteners adapted to engage withcorresponding interlocking fasteners on the structure.
 18. (canceled)19. An advertising panel according to claim 1, wherein one or both ofthe two opposite side edges are provided with an elongate fastenerhaving a thickness greater than the sheet on each of the two oppositeside edges, the fastener being adapted to engage with one or morelateral fastening members on the structure.
 20. An advertising panelaccording to claim 19, wherein the one or more lateral fastening membersare releasable clamping members adapted to clamp the elongate fastenerin a selected one of a plurality of positions.
 21. A vehicle having awall provided with a slot or slots on the exterior surface thereof, thevehicle having an advertising panel mounted on said exterior surface,the panel comprising a sheet of plastic mesh material having an imageapplied to a first side of the sheet, wherein the panel has an elongatefastener provided on at least one longitudinal edge, the elongatefastener having a thickness greater than the sheet and engaged with saidslot or slots on said vehicle.
 22. A vehicle according to claim 21,wherein the advertising panel is an advertising panel according toclaim
 1. 23. A vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the exteriorsurface is on a side wall of the vehicle.
 24. A vehicle according toclaim 21, wherein the slot or slots are provided in one or more trackmembers bonded to the exterior surface by adhesive.
 25. A vehicleaccording to claim 21, wherein the slot or slots are provided in one ormore track members secured to the side wall by fixing means.
 26. Avehicle according to claim 24, wherein the track members are extrudedmembers, and the slot or slots are shaped to allow keying of theelongate fastener with the slot or slots.
 27. A vehicle according toclaim 26, wherein one or more of said track members are provided on eachof the upper and lower edges of the exterior surface.
 28. A vehiclehaving a load bearing volume at least partially enclosed by a curtain,said curtain being provided with a slot or slots on the exterior surfacethereof, the vehicle having an advertising panel on said exteriorsurface, the panel comprising a sheet of plastic mesh material having animage applied to a first side of the sheet, wherein the panel has anelongate fastener provided on at least one longitudinal edge, theelongate fastener having a thickness greater than the sheet and engagedwith said slot or slots on said vehicle.
 29. A vehicle according toclaim 28, wherein the advertising panel is an advertising panelaccording to claim
 1. 30. A vehicle according to claim 28, wherein theslot or slots are provided in one or more track members bonded to theexterior surface by adhesive.
 31. A vehicle according to claim 28,wherein the slot or slots are provided in one or more track memberssecured to the side wall by fixing means.
 32. A vehicle according toclaim 31, wherein each of said track members has a corresponding backingplate on the opposite side of the curtain, the fixing means passingthrough the curtain and joining the corresponding track member andbacking plate.
 33. A vehicle according to claim 28, wherein the trackmembers are extruded members, and the slot or slots are shaped to allowkeying of the elongate fastener with the slot or slots.
 34. A vehicleaccording to claim 33, wherein one or more of said track members areprovided on each of the upper and lower edges of the exterior surface.35. A vehicle according to claim 28, wherein the track members areprovided as discrete lengths of track spaced at regular intervals on thevehicle.
 36. A method of modifying a vehicle to display at least oneadvertising panel on at least one surface of the vehicle, the panelcomprising a sheet of plastic mesh material having an image applied to afirst side of the sheet, wherein the panel has an elongate fastenerprovided on at least one longitudinal edge, the elongate fastener havinga thickness greater than the sheet said method comprising the steps of:securing one or more slotted track members in a predetermined pattern onthe surface of the vehicle or on a curtain adapted to be mounted on thesurface of the vehicle, and releasably attaching the advertising panelto the one or more slotted track members by engaging the elongatefastener in the slots provided on the one or more slotted track members.37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the advertising panel is anadvertising panel according to claim
 1. 38. A method according to claim36, wherein the advertising panel is substantially rectangular havingupper and lower longitudinal edges and two side edges, and whereinelongate fasteners at the upper and lower longitudinal edges are engagedin the slots provided on the one or more slotted track members,including the further step of: releasably attaching the side edges ofthe advertising panel to one or more releasable clamping members.
 39. Amethod according to claim 38, wherein: at least one side edge isprovided with an elongate fastener, the side edge is attached to the oneor more releasable clamping members by clamping the elongate fastener ina selected one of a plurality of positions, to adjust the lateraltension in the advertising panel.
 40. An advertising panel for mountingto a structure, the panel comprising a sheet of plastic mesh materialhaving an image applied to a first side of the sheet, wherein the panelhas a plurality of resilient attachment means provided along at leastone edge of the panel.
 41. A vehicle having a rear door, the rear doorhaving mounted thereon an advertising panel according to claim
 40. 42. Avehicle according to claim 41, wherein the rear door is a roller shutterdoor.
 43. A vehicle according to claim 42, wherein the rear door hasattachment fixings secured thereto, each attachment means being attachedto an attachment fixing and being adapted to allow elastic extension ofthe attachment means when the roller shutter door is in its rolled statewith the advertising panel mounted thereon.
 44. A vehicle according toclaim 41, wherein the resilient attachment means comprises elastictension members of natural or synthetic rubber.